Sleeve for joining wire ends.



" F. W. MAXSTADT.

SLEEVE POR JOINING WIRE ENDS.

APPLTGATION FILED NO V. 7. 1904.

PATBNTED 111113.11, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. 4

PATENTED FEB. ll, 1.908.

No. 878,816. 8 y E. W. MAXSTADT.

SLEEVE E08 rolNINGWIl-EE ENDS` z sHEE'rssHEET z.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1904.

[nuera-for' WMZIM To L'Zlwhomit may concern: i

Y' UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

FRANCIS W. MAXSADT, OFLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, v i TOFRANK B. COOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l

SLEEVE :son .ToINrNG' WIRE ENDS.

. No. eresie.`

Patented Feb'Q 11 1 9'08.

. Application filed November 7. 1904. Serial-No. 231.768.

Be it 'known that I, FRANCIS W. MAX- sTAD'T, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles,State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSleeves for Joining Wire Ends, and particularly adapted for joining theends of wires to behused for conducting electrical currents, and anewand useful im rovement in methods lof making the same rom a singlesheet-metal blank, of

v ,which the following is a speciiication.

invention re tes to an improvedvarticle of, manufacture for use injoining the ends offwiresfparticularl of wires -tobe used for conductinglectric a currents, and to an improved method of making the same vfrom asin le sheettmetal blank. i wiref j oint ,should be strong and durable,

andhwhenfthe wiresjoinedare used as condufctorsy of electricalcurrents,` should adord erfeclt ,conductivityJ yThese qualities aree'stattained the vprocess of joining the vstance can. penetrate causinthe res ective tubes of the s wire ends results .ina complete Vweldthereof soAthat thejointconsists of a solid mass of metal; throughout,`offunbroken continuityv with the ,wires'themselves This avoids any :tirspaces bei-ng left within the joint into which airmoisture, lor otherforeignsubcorrosion in the joint, weakening it, an impairing itsconductivit when the wiresjoined are used as electrica Iconductors.

Previous devices of the class to which my invention belongs have usuall,consisted of a sleeve comprising two paral el completelycylindrical-shaped tubes, each tube respectivelyl completely'inc'asingone of' the wire ends vtowbe joined, which are assed through j eevesfromopposite( irections, the wires 'being thus sepa-` rated. fromeach otherby the double thickness of the vtube The sleeve with the'wires thusincased is thenftwisted to make the joint;1 Theresult of this form isthat when the s left within the joint, and no weld of the-wires andsleeve'is caused, but a mere mechanical contact, more or less loose, ofthe twisted wires results.,Av Hitherto there has-been no ineansdevisedfor welding the wire ends ex cept by heat, which is impracticablebecause of the expense involved, and which, in the case of hard drawncopper wires such- ,as are used yfor'the conduction of electricalcurrents,

`cesses', shown as 21 in Figures 5 'and 13 and;

the wires eeve -is so twisted large air spaces are.

would impair their tensile strength atthe joint by dra-win "thetemper'of-the-wire.

The object r'o my invention is tolprovide,y i first: aa device forjoining 4wire endswhereby a vcomplete cold weld of the wire .ends isac-ccomplished, makin "a solid mass 'of"fmetal throughout where t e wiresare 'jounedg-tlius obtaining lstrength and conductivity Larid avoidingall possibility of corrosionjsecond: 'a rapid and economical methodAof-Emanu-f. facturing the saine from a singlesheet metal blank througha minimum number of opera. tions, requiring 'fewer tools andlesshandling than by any revious method.

j As to the st, my invention consists ina sleeve made `of anycomparativelygsoft,i pliable metal, as for one instance copper,

formed with two parallelpartially cylindricalchambers, or interiorconcave reshaped 16, partially'separated from each other, `but openinginto each other along their longitudi-` nal length, as shown in Figs. 5-and 13, the' chambers 2.1 opening into each other in the medial plane22. 'The ends of the'wires toi? be joined are passed through thesechambers respectivelyfrom opposite directions. 'When are so inserted vinthe sleeve, their proximate surfaces do not touch, but are separated byan intervening space. The

ljoint is effected after the ends of the'wires are so inserted into therespective chambers of the sleeve by turning or twisting the sleeve,with the contained wires, from three to .three and a half times, whichdraws the oints oft the sleeve, 23 and 24, together in c ose' con#Vtact, closing. the opening between the two chambers, whichmakes eachinto a com lete cylinder, andstretchng the metal s eeve completelyaround each separate .wire to. tightly bind the same; all air. is thuseX- hausted from inside the sleeve and great pressure exerted upon theincased Wires, which results in their welding with the sleeve into asolid mass. This twisting may be'done 10o with any ordinary tools lsuchas pliers, clamps, etc.

I show herein two forms in which my sleeve may be manufactured; both -bythe same method. I form the .sleeve-from a sin le sheet metal blank intwo operations -wit two sets of formers land one mandrel, as illustratedin the accompanying drawings: ofwhicli the followin f is an explanation.

Fig. lfrepresents the sleeve in. use, `the 110 completed joint ,Fig 2represents the sheet l former fit, as shown in Fig. 8. The sheet metalblank from which l make my sleeve; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of theblank after it has been subjected to the first bendin operation of theformers shown in Figs-7 an 8 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the mandrelused in the second bending operation; Fig. is a perspective view of theblank after it hasbeen subjected to the second bending operation of theformers vshown in Figs. 9 and 10 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thecomplete sleeve. after it has peen soldered or brazed and withwires-inserted therein ready to be twisted; Fig; 7 represents a crosssection of the male and female formers used in the first bendingoperation; Fig. 8k re resents a cross section of the same after't eiroperation, with the blank between the two bent up and around the tongueof the male former; Fig. -9 represents a cross section of thegmale andfemale formers used in the second bending operation Fig. 10 represents across section of the same and of the inserted mandrel-the view showsithe formers afterv their operation, with the blank bent around vthemandrel inserted therein, the male former pressing down upon the uppereX- terior surface of the bent blank 5 Fig. ll-represents a crosssectionof Fig. 6; Fig. 12 represents a cross section of Figs. 1 and 20 showingthe weld produced by either form of the sleeve herein described; Fig. 13is a perspective view of'another or modified form of my sleeve; Fig. 14represents a cross section of the same with wires inserted; Figi 15 is aperspective view of the blank at the end of the first bending operationin making this modified form, Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the sameat the end of the second bending operation of this modified form; Fig.`17 is a perspective view of the mandrel used in thev second bendingoperation of this modified form Fig. 18 represents a cross section ofthe malev and female' formers used in the first bendin operation inmaking this modified form; i ..19 represents a cross section of the malean female formers usi-d in the ,second bending operation Aof thismodified form; Fig. 20 represents the completed joint made Awith thismodified form Vof my sleeve.

A is the male former usedin the first olperation of my method. It isforned with t e. inverted T-shaped tongue, 25, having the flatbase,v26,vand the longitudinal convex, or partially cylindrical-shapedlateral projections, 27 The tongue, 25, is flanked by the triangularparts, 28, having the incline faces, cavities 30. These triangular partsareseparate from the tongue. :a

B is the female former used in this first operation, formed with therecess, 31, having the flat base, 32, and the concave sides, 33, andwith the triangular recesses, 34, into which the triangular parts, 28,of the male drel E is inserted into it.

straightY 29, terminating in the conmetal blank rests on thelongitudinal edges, 35, between the perpendicular surfaces of therecesses,l 34, as shown in Fig. 7, these latter surfaces being of justsuch a distance apart as to allow the blank to lit closely between themand are raised slightly above the longitudinal edges, 35, in order tohold the blank firmly in place. When themale former descends the blankis struck first by the tongue which,

presses it down into the recess, 31, of the fe'- maleformer, bending itslongitudinalI edges upward; instantly the triangular parts, 28,

descend and their incline faces, 29, roll the longitudinal edges of theblankover the lateral projections, 27, the concavities, 30, fitting downclosely upon the rolled edges of the blank, causing it to snugly hugthetongue, 25,'as shown in Fig. 8. i e j C is the male former used in thesecond operation of my method. #It is formed with the tongue, 36, havingthe sharp central longitudinal ridge, 37, and theconcave faces, 38. D isthe female former used in this second operation. It is formed with theflat base, '39, and the horizontal j aws, 40, having the perf pendicularfaces, 4l, andthe `conc'avities, 42.

The blank is removed from the first set of formers after theiroperation-and the man- The blank with inclosed mandrel is then placedbetween the jaws, 40,`and as the male former descends these jaws. of thefemale formeriapproach each other lining up the blank directly andevenly beneath the ridge, 37., of the male former, and rolling the edgesof the blank in opposite directions toward each other, the j tongue, 36,of the male former coming between to preserve the. shape and press theedges of the blank down closely upon the mandrelfas shown in Fig. 10. YThis mandrel E is so constructed with a deep central de-` pression,having the flat base, 43, flanked by the longitudinal partiallycylindrical-shaped, or convex sides, 44, that when the blank is rolledover it, if one sideof the blank should be softer or roll more easilythan the other, that sidewill strike the fiat base, 43, of thedepression, stopping there, the other side of the blank being thenrolled up even with the first side. The diameter of the convex sides,44, is slightly greater than that o f the wires to be joined, so thatthey maybe readily insented into the sleeve in making the joint.

The blank thus rolled, Fig. 5, is then removed andl soldered or brazedalong the upper medial line between its rolled edges, as shown in Figs.6 and 11. The result of the o erations with the formers and the mandrelpas shown in Figs. 5 and 11. I prefer this form of my sleeve as mostsatisfactory to accomplish the object of my invention, namely a weld ofthe wire ends.

The formers represented in Figs. 18 and 19 just de. scribed is anapproximately B-shaped sleeve4 shown in Fig. 19.

respectively differ in shape fromv those just described in thefollowin`g particulars only: B, the female former of the firstoperation,

.F1g. 18, has the central longitudinal ridge,

45; A-, the first male former having the corresponding-groove or crease,46, the blank being thus bent with the interior central longitudinalridge, 47, as shown in Fig. 15; D, the female former of the second oeration, Fig. 19, has the central longitudina ridge, 48, as In all otherrespectsfthe formers shown in Figs. 'I8 and 19 are in shape and dooperate precisely like those described, shown in Figs. .7, 8, 9, and 10,like numerals in all my ii ures representing like parts. The mandrel,formers differs from the mandrel, E, already described, in having acentral depression on both the upper and the lower side,vsiinilar inshape to that in mandrel, E, but not cut so deep. The bent blank isremoved 'after the voperation of the formers shown in Fig. 19,

and soldered or brazed, as above described, this brazing being shown inFigs. 13 and 14. The result of the operations with these latter formersand this mandrel is an approximately 8shaped sleeve, as shown in Figs.13`

and 14;. All of these formers exceed in length the blank from which thesleeve is formed.

What I do claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters IXatentis: 1. Awire connector of the character described,compri`sin arectangularpiece of sheet metal having its onger edges rolled towardeach other into contact with each other so as to form two hollowcylinders openin into each other and separated from one anot er`byf thethickness of the two edges of the sheet metal which extend a proximatelyto the plane of the longitudina axes'of the cylinders to hold the wiresto be connected apart, the said edges being brazed or soldered togetherto securely hold them in this position, andl the longitudinal center ofthe piece of sheet metal being ap roximately flat to compel the materialo the connector to stretch tightly clear around each wire and form inbetween the wires-to meet the said edge ortions, when the joint istwisted, as descri ed, and thereby completely fill all' of the spacearound each wire so as to forma cold-weld Fig.17, used with theselatter4 wires. t

4. ,A wire connector of the character described comprising a tubeadapted to receive a pair of wiresl side by side therein, said tubehaving a solidcontinuous wall and a rigid inwardly extendinglongitudinal `rib adapted to hold the wires apart within the tube,whereby, upon twisting, the connector forms two completely closed tubesaround the respective Wires.

5. Awire joint of the character described comprising a tube having asolid continuous vwall and a rigid inwardly extending longitudinal rib,and a pair of wires placed side by side in the tube on opposite sides ofthe said rib which holds the wires apart, the whole beingtwisted wherebythe said tube forms two completely closed tubes litting the respectiveWires.

6. A wire connector of the character described comprising a piece oi"sheet metal having its longitudinal edges bent toward each other andinwardly and brazed to form a tube for receiving a pair' of wires, thesaid edges holding the wires apart in the tube, the longitudinal middleof the piece of sheet metal being left substantially flat, whereby, upontwisting, the tube stretches tightly clear around ea'ch wire of the pairseparately.

7. A wire connector of the character described comprising a tube adaptedto receive a pair of wires side by side therein, said tube having asolid continuous Wall, a rigid inwardly extending longitudinal ribadapted to hold the wires apart-within the tube, the wall of the tubeopposite the said rib being substantially ilat, whereby, upon twisting,

